Writing With Whitney

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Thursday, March 5, 2015

Hello readers! It has been quite some time since my last post but, with numb fingers and frostbite courtesy of the snowstorms slamming the East Coast, I needed time to heal. Ok, perhaps I am exaggerating about the frostbite however, the frigid temperatures are the truth! Nevertheless, I am back and writing because I need your help with a project that I am heavily involved in. Want to know more? Keep reading!

Working at the NYU School of Engineering, I have the pleasure of working with a diverse group of students who are committed to academic excellence, dedicated to serving others and passionate about expanding their minds. When thinking about the service to others, the Poly Project comes to mind and their upcoming service trip to D.C.! Starting to catch on? Well, TPP needs your help in the fundraising department and below you will find all of the information regarding the trip:

The Poly Project is an initiative through the Office of Student Activities with the purpose of providing community service opportunities for the School of Engineering student body and building a community of service-oriented students.

This spring semester, The Poly Project is offering its first ever overnight service trip to Washington, D.C. to volunteer with Youth Service Opportunities Project to address homelessness and hunger.

The Service Trip Team is comprised of 20 students and 2 staff members. The team is tasked to fundraise at least $2,000 to cover transportation, lodging, food, and service fees as a group. To fundraise for the outing, we have set up a GoFundMe link in which you can click here for more information: http://www.gofundme.com/TPPGoes2DC

What will we be doing?

Volunteers will prepare and serve meals at soup kitchens; they will provide recreational activities and companionship to young, formerly homeless children; they will distribute food and supplies at food pantries; they will socialize and bring snacks to people in drop-in centers. Occasionally they will join in special projects we have been asked to staff, such as painting a new shelter with residents or distributing clothing at a clothing bank.

T H A N K Y O U

Your donation is an investment. Your contribution allows The Poly Project to enhance students' learning experiences outside of the classroom, raising awareness of "real world" issues allowing students to see themselves as change agents and problem solvers. Our vision is for our participants to become and develop as multicultural community builders who see justice beyond charity, compassion beyond blames and stereotypes, diversity beyond tolerance, and social responsibility beyond self.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Hello readers. My oh my has it been quite some time since our last correspondence. Let me bring you up to speed regarding the details of events: we have transitioned from Autumn to Winter, I, along with the members of my Higher Education cohort, have completed the first semester of graduate school, and, it is finally 2015. Yes, as you are reading this, the ball in Times Square has dropped and it is January 1, 2015. I won't even ask, "can you believe it?" because frankly, as we know…time waits for no one. So, in an effort to be mindful of your time, I'll keep this post brief. As we wade through the Facebook statuses, the Twitter updates and the Instagram posts that all center on life lived in 2014, the lessons learned in 2014 and what takeaways will be the foundation for our 2015's, I find that my thoughts are reminiscent of two songs beautifully sung by a man so eloquently dubbed, 'Ol Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra. Those two songs are "My Way" and "New York, New York". I know, one is a song so dreary and usually reserved for saying your final goodbyes while the other is so upbeat, so optimistic and so reassuring that even when you move and/or live in NYC and you're down on your luck, because you have that wherewithal, hustle and grit, you'll come out on the other side. Now, what do those two have to do with ushering in 2015. Well, I'll show you.With lines in which Sinatra says,

Regrets, I've had a fewBut then again, too few to mentionI did what I had to do and saw it through without exemptionI planned each charted course, each careful step along the bywayAnd more, much more than this, I did it my way

To only continue to sing and then say,

I've loved, I've laughed and criedI've had my fill, my share of losingAnd now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusingTo think I did all thatAnd may I say, not in a shy way,"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"

In essence, we spent our 2014 living, laughing, crying, regretting and in the midst of that cycle, we did it our way. We didn't bend and we didn't cower. And so, if we're going to make 2015 the best one yet, we have to continue doing it….OUR WAY!

As we continue to celebrate, let's all remember to do so in the manner that fits us and is upbeat, optimistic and helps us come out on the other side just like "New York, New York" does. And with that, I say, Happy New Year readers and let's all be kings and queens of our hills and the top of our heaps.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Hello readers! It's fall and as the leaves turn brown and we bid farewell to the lust and love that was summer, we also bid farewell to a staple... an icon…a renowned figure. Tonight, September 25, 2014 marked the final appearance of my friend, and yours too, Derek Jeter in New York Yankee pinstripes. Effective as of Monday morning, Derek Jeter's tenure as a New York Yankee will be up and frankly, selfishly and childishly speaking, I don't want him to go.

As I've mentioned on numerous occasions, Derek Jeter is synonymous with the positivity that is my childhood. Growing up in the Bronx, I was fortunate to be able to use the eclectic and diverse surroundings to aid in my teachings outside of the classroom. Luckily enough, those surroundings included the famed Yankee Stadium. When you think of the Bronx and "splendor", there are four things that come to mind: The Bronx Zoo, The Botanical Garden, The Bronx Museum of the Arts and Yankee Stadium. If you were to poll people on where they've spent the majority of their time, it would be the latter. Now, don't get me wrong, these four institutions are credited with transforming the youth of the Bronx in various ways BUT, it is Yankee Stadium where the magic happens. For me, that magic was felt in 1995 when a wide-eyed/keen/observant/determined/hungry and all around pleasant lad by the name of Derek Jeter entered into the league. I thought another player had entered into the fray that was the professional arena but little did I know, Derek Jeter would have a profound effect one me.

At 7 years old, the concept of a "crush" was out of my reach and while I could not formally articulate my feelings with a concrete definition, I knew I liked that kid! Over the course of my aging, my affinity grew far beyond his smile to admiring things such as his tenacity for success, work ethic towards accomplishing a task at hand, his poise and his respect for the profession he chose and the people who shared the field with him. Ok, ok, so his baby blue eyes and freckles are a plus and his physique is a bonus but, let's not make this NSFW lol. Let's just say, there are a multitude of things to admire and to pick just one does this post minimal justice.

As I began to truly understand what my feelings were for Derek Jeter, I could not wait to share them with the world and during my adolescent years, I ran my affection into the ground! Whether it was spending my formidable high school years compiling a detailed scrapbook, acquiring apparel and/or spending waking moments at Yankee Stadium, every experience had a story and I made sure it was told. Heads up, I will recount these tales for years to come.

Matriculating to college and beyond, my love for Derek never faltered. Through the additions and subtractions of players from all realms on my "Favorites" list, Derek's spot was never usurped. No awe-inspiring/record breaking play could have made me demote Derek Jeter. Perhaps it was my bias or my stubbornness to change but Derek could never be replaced.

So, how do I end this folklore? Do I conclude with a good bye? I don't know. I know I'm not prepared to say good bye so I won't. I'll thank you, Derek Jeter, for providing this girl with memories many can only dream of. Thank you, for 19 years of laughs, tears, heated debates with fanatics of other teams and enough t-shirts to clothe my family 2x over. I've been listening to Sam Smith a lot and Derek, I'll be selfish one last time and say, why don't stay with me because you're all I need. Come on darling, stay with me…

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hello readers! How has the long awaited summer been treating you thus far? Already fed up with the fluctuating heat and threats of thunderstorms? I hope not, because the best of this season is yet to come! Now that we've exchanged pleasantries, let's get into the post. Today, June 26, 2014, marks the 40th birthday of a icon, a legend, a captain at the helm and a storied hero…DEREK SANDERSON JETER!

Always in reflective mode, it is difficult to grasp the idea that I was first introduced to Derek roughly 19 years ago. I was 7 and he was the wide-eyed, ever eager 21 year old starting SS for the New York Yankees. As I have always reiterated, through and through, time and time again, on multiple occasions, I was quickly enamored with Derek and have been ever since. He is without a doubt one of the most charismatic figures in sports and I cannot wait to see his post baseball endeavors soar to new heights!

Once again, Happy Birthday, Derek and I wish you nothing but continued success and greatness as you enter your 40's. If orange is the new black, then 40 is the new age of thinking. The 40's are a decade of enlightenment and boy oh boy, are we fans certainly in for a delicious treat!

P.S. because no birthday greeting is complete without a reminder of the eye candy that has been bestowed upon us, here are a few pictures to keep you occupied:

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Hello readers. How has your 2014 been progressing since the last time I've written you in March? I know life happens and can throw you for a loop but, I will be the voice of reason and respond for you, "amazing!". Now that the formalities are out of the way, let's get into tonight's post.

If you're scratching your head about the title, do not be alarmed for I have not lost my creative touch and half-assed a heading. In a year that has began with major announcements of a retirement, specifically the retirement of New York Yankees captain, Derek Jeter and the final season of Sandra Oh's performance as Cardiothoracic's supernova, Cristina Yang, I decided to combine their respective departures and acknowledge what they've meant to me. Because there is still more than enough time to write a 4-page letter on Jeter, I'll reserve this space for Cristina Yang.

For 10 seasons, avid fans of Grey's Anatomy have been riding on a medical roller coaster. Since we fans have been introduced to Cristina, we've cried, laughed, thickened our skin, hardened our hearts and have been steadfast in the pursuit of achieving greatness. Although a character, Cristina Yang has played a pivotal role in ensuring that millions tune in every Thursday night at 9p to see what were about to be transported to next. I am proud to say that I have been a dedicated viewer and while Cristina's (Oh) departure can be seen as Grey's losing its luster, I know that Yang will thrive in Zurich. She's a shark so why would we expect anything less?

As I end this post, I wish nothing but the best for the brilliant Sandra Oh. May your next leg of your tour be just as memorable if not better than the last. We love you and cannot wait to see you on the screen again.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Hello readers. In between work, gearing up for baseball season and taking time to stop and smell the roses, a lot has happened in the world of sports and entertainment. While I am not going to rehash every moment, I will talk about the biggest event of the spring season. As you all are well aware of, March Madness is underway and since Tuesday and 3 days in, brackets are in shamble and we've all been screaming "Oy Vey!". Sadly, I have now joined the vacation pool of losing teams due to the Duke's exit in the first round. Ugh, give me a break!

Friday afternoon, at 12:15p, televisions, laptops and smartphones continued to be glued to CBS, Tru TV, TNT and TBS as games rolled full speed ahead. The Duke Blue Devils played The Mercer Bears and honestly speaking, the Blue Devils were slated to smoke the Bears. Oddly enough, the #3 Blue Devils were beat 78 - 71 by the #14 Bears and sent brackets across the globe into despair. I did not watch today's game because of a prior engagement and truthfully, I'm glad I didn't. My heart would have been torn into pieces watching eager freshmen and season seniors lose in such a fashion. I refuse to watch highlights because I know it'll only make me frown. As always readers, myself and my teams bounce back from failure but at this moment, I want to sulk.

So, as I close out this post, I want to take a moment to thank the Duke Blue Devils for consistently putting a smile on my face and taking me to new heights. To my squad and the wickedly talented Coach Michael Krzyzewski, thank you for all that you've done this season. It was arduous but we made it through. To my seniors, oh the places you'll go on your journey after college. To the freshmen, sophomores and juniors, let's keep working to bring home that 5th title. My heart will forever bleed Duke blue and you'll never have to question my loyalty. I'll see you at graduation and then the fall.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Hello readers. As my fingers begin to type, I find myself at a loss for words because my emotions are well at work. I am trying to compose myself but as updated information crosses my path, all I want to do is curl up in a ball, stop time and watch past highlights. You all may be wondering, "What's going on?! Why is she about to have a breakdown?!" and well here's why: this afternoon, Derek Jeter announced that 2014 will be his last season in pinstripes. Yes, Derek Jeter has clued the world in on his impending retirement. It's the end of an era.

Due to me gathering my thoughts and taking in every bit of news available, I'll keep this post short. Also, I need to start purchasing as many home game available for the 2014 season. So, as I go, I'll leave you with Derek's official statement on the matter. Hugs for us all!